


You Only Live Once

by UltimatelyLoveless



Series: Moment of Truth [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Adult Edward Elric, Angst, Be patient, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Ed Is Oblivious, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, Prequel, Roy is in denile, Roy x Ed - Freeform, Worldbuilding, royed, runaway ship, smut is coming, trust me it won't be slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 12:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13975575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimatelyLoveless/pseuds/UltimatelyLoveless
Summary: Before they found each other they had different paths. What was once mutually exclusive is merging to become one.Roy had never realized the yawning gap expanding across his life isolating him from truly living.Edward thought he knew exactly what he wanted.What changed?





	You Only Live Once

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello lovelies. I received a wonderful response to my Roy x Ed oneshot. I thought I'd give you all a window into how they ended up together in that fic. This will be multiple chapters. I do not yet know how many! I know this chapter is very long, but I hope you find it to be worth it. The good stuff will come, I promise!
> 
> A few things to know: Ed is 20 here, several months shy of his 21st birthday. For the purposes of this fic, his birthday is February 3rd. The rating on this story WILL change eventually. It will not be rated T for long.
> 
> I had no Beta so any mistakes/typos/etc are my own. Story is set in the Brotherhood verse as I have not seen all of the '03 Anime or read the manga yet. I use the FMA wikia to help me fill in answers for things and flesh out the rest on my own such as info on the bordering countries of Amestris and the culture/people that live in them.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. I do own the plot and any OC characters mentioned.

Resplendent scenery dappled in waning early evening light whirred by the pane of glass separating Edward Elric from the world beyond. With each flower, tree, blade of grass that disappeared from view he knew he was one step closer to home. Home. That was a word he hadn’t used to describe the place he returned to at the end of the day in two years. It wasn’t a word that found much purchase in his vocabulary even before that.

A great deal had happened in the years following the Promised Day. Two were spent rebuilding - gaining strength for his and Alphonse’s plans in the days ahead- and the most recent two Edward spent far from all of the people he loved. Each day was worth it. He appreciated them so much more and found himself more eager to return to Resembool than he ever had in his entire lifetime; short though it was as he was only twenty. Ed had gained so much knowledge in a relatively small amount of time. The trip was meant to be shorter, but nothing ever truly when to plan where Ed was involved. Not having his brother along to keep him focused his path meandered and extended his time West in the country of Creta by six months.

Alphonse meanwhile headed East to Xing with Mei to learn Alkahestry.

It would feel good to see Al again. Just thinking of his brother made him smile. They had their letters - each of which was stuffed together in a small bag - but he missed the sound of his sibling’s voice. They had spent every waking moment together for most of their lives that it had taken a long time for Ed to get used to waking up and Alphonse not being there. Going their own ways was good. They needed the time to be apart so they could each grow without having to be strictly dependant upon the other. He was all the better for it.

Movement from behind his left shoulder drew Ed’s attention from the window. He had stretched out to prop his feet up on the bench seat across from his and his body had twisted to turn more toward the window leaving his back partially exposed to the aisle. A couple was moving down the row to sit at a seat closer to the door on the car. He recognized them from the last stop his train had pulled into. He had bumped into them in the dining car and struck up a pleasant conversation with the woman.

They were from Aerugo on a trip to see Creta and were on their way back via Amestris. No further hostile tensions among Amestris’s borders had allowed for more tourism to spread from all over. Edward was intrigued to see what Amestris had become in his absence. Perhaps though, someday, he would have the opportunity to see Aerugo for himself. The man and woman both seemed to have a few places of recommendation for him to try if he ever did.

Smiling to himself as he watched them talk and hold hands it made him think of Winry. There hadn’t been time to explore their feelings. Confessing on the platform as he boarded his train was hardly the ideal time and place to confess. He couldn’t wait to see her. Ed could hold her and not just think about it. Minus a few hiccups he had kept his automail in tact and wasn’t expecting her to make too gigantic a fuss about it so he didn’t expect much obstacle in getting to be without without a great deal of yelling. If he was being honest even her obsessive tantrums were something he looked forward to.

Being apart for two years was hard on their relationship. Phone calls were difficult to get through on good days and unless Winry traveled to to the Westernmost border of Amestris there was no way they could have a reliable connection. Once they had tried it, but the connection was bad and it forced them to hang up prematurely. Letters worked better for him. He had no true deadline to meet and could always blame carrier delays if something was late. Even four years on Edward was still awful with keeping in contact. He was getting better, however, if the bag full of Al’s and Winry’s letters were any indication. Calling and writing also wouldn’t be a problem once he got back to Resembool. There would be no need to call anyone because they would all be in the same place; together finally with nothing to hold them back or worry about.

Ed nodded off into a light sleep as his train rushed onward rattling along the tracks. In a matter of hours he would make one final stop to cross the Creta - Amestrian border and then hurtle onward to West City.

 

Twelve hours - and two stops - later Edward found himself being roused by the young woman he had talked with the day earlier. She smiled at him the corners of her dark eyes crinkling and slightly wavy rich brown hair falling forward over her shoulders. “Don’t want to miss your stop,” she said to him, voice thick with her Aerugon accent, before straightening. The man behind her also grinned. He looked just as Edward did in that moment as if he too had been roused from sleep. Lazily he turned away and yawned shifting the bag on his shoulder.

“Mmm…” Ed groaned and blinked at the pair through half-lidded sleep clogged eyes. His whole body felt stiff from contorting on the benches to sleep. “Thanks,” he muttered while dropping his feet to the floor with a thud. He groaned as his back and hips protested to moving too quickly. His knees were sore from how they had sagged in the gap between the seats. The woman laughed again and stepped out of the way so Ed could finally stand and trudge to the aisle turning to retrieve his two bags from the overhead storage. The bigger one hit the floor with a thunk jerking Ed’s arm and jostling him further awake.

The trio made for the exit of the train car behind a handful of other passengers talking as they went.

The morning light hit his golden hair and made it shine in contrast to the two dark haired, olive skinned foreigners he walked out with. They were chatting for the final time. The man took the time to shake Ed’s hand with a smile. When the blonde offered his hand to the woman she laughed, sidestepping it, to hug him instead placing a kiss to each cheek. Blushing a bit he let off a laugh and waved briefly to the two as they headed for the opposite end of the platform. He watched them disappear in a gaggle of people before turning to look around.

Alphonse was meant to meet him and he eagerly searched each person he saw to find him. If he were lucky perhaps Winry would have joined and he could see them both. He was beginning to think that his brother might be late when wheaten eyes landed on a completely unexpected figure. The nervous yet expectant smile and faint color to his face slipped away to one of surprise.

Roy Mustang stood near a bench in an odd blend of casual attention and military rigidity. His hands rested at his sides, fingers loosely curled, and - if Ed wasn’t mistaken - he wore his trademark gloves. Just the smallest bit of red lines could be caught on the back of one hand between the people moving around within the distance they stood from one another. He wore a mask of boredom with dark ebony eyes staring off into nothing.

He wore the standard blue color military uniform only it had different ornamentation near the shoulders. A black long coat obscured the rest of the details from Edward’s eyes, but he could see that Roy was no Colonel any longer. Vaguely he recalled hearing of Roy’s promotion after the Promised Day. He hadn’t attended the ceremony, but had dropped by some time after - at Alphonse’s urging - to congratulate the man. The matching blue hat on his head also stood out to Edward and was initially what kept him from recognizing the older man right away. He couldn’t recall ever seeing Roy wear it before. It looked good on him nevertheless.

As he was still staring and deciding on what to do Roy’s head turned and their eyes met. Ed snapped up a little straighter and gave a lazy grin as he shuffled his way forward. When they were only a few feet apart he got a better look. He could just make out an extra star along the soldier's shoulder indicating he had managed to be promoted yet again in such a short time frame.

Roy’s face had softened now that he was mentally present and it was then that Edward looked up and fully took in the sight before him. The smile on his face ebbed away faltering to a blank expression momentarily.

“What-” Edward began as he leaned in - eyes narrowing. He quickly pressed his lips together and his brow furrowed. “Pfff…”

Without further warning given he erupted into a rich, hearty laughter. It rose deep from the gut and rippled through him until he was shaking with the convulsions of his muscles as they tried and failed to hold him upright. He hunched over, smaller bag dropping to the ground and his larger one slipping off the opposite shoulder to join it. His body shook with such force as he struggled to breathe and stand back up that it rocked his head a little causing his long hair to sway in it’s ponytail.

Getting a better look at Roy’s face - deep frown contorting the bizarre looking hairline across his upper lip - Edward collapsed into a deeper fit. Tears stung at his eyes and he could barely keep himself on his feet. His figure was crumpled forward so far it made for quite the scene to everyone passing by.

Roy glared down at him - not pleased in the least with the stares coming their way - finding it impossible to determine what had come over the elder Elric. 

“I’m not seeing what’s so funny, Edward,” he stated flatly.

Still shivering from the remaining giggles Edward finally stood upright. He pushed at his left eye with the heel of his left palm to push the tears away stretching the skin out as he did. The other eye tried valiantly to blink away the moisture. “Oh, just...you know. That ridiculous caterpillar you’ve stuck to your face.”

“I’m leaving.”

Ed perked up forcing the still bubbling chuckles back down and reaching out to grab Roy’s sleeve as the man had already begun to turn away. He smiled wide; the light from it reaching his eyes. “Wait, wait! I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting...that.” He motioned toward the mustache again not wilting under the harsh stare he was getting. “It’s been four years and you were the last person I thought was going to be here. You’re just different than I remember. That’s all!” He waved his hands defensively under the silent scrutiny. “You’ve got no sense of humor, old man. Lighten up!”

“You haven’t changed.” Roy paused to glance the other briefly. “I should have expected as much from someone so small.”

Edward twitched, his eyes narrowing. “Hey! Who’re you calling small?” His fingers fisted in Roy’s sleeve as his temper flared. “You’re not that tall, Mustang!”

With a roll of Roy’s shoulders the corners of his lips tugged up in a smirk. “Short and petty. Care to keep proving my point, Fullmetal?”

“Shut up!” The blonde huffed. Scowling he leaned back shoving Roy’s sleeve away and folded his arms. “You just gotta be a dick to inflate your own ego, don’t you?”

It was Roy’s turn to laugh. Shaking his head he kept his eyes locked with Edward’s. “If that was my goal there are better ways to achieve it than riling up a shrimp like you.”

The former State Alchemist erupted again all but flailing his arms with his voice raised for the entire station to hear. “You bastard! How’d a smartass like you ever pass the military evaluations let alone get promoted?” Ed turned from Roy and began to pick up his bags. “If smart remarks are all you’ve got to say I have better things to do.”

Roy chuckled. Stretching out a hand to halt Ed’s retreat he brought the younger man's attention back to him. “Alphonse isn’t here. He asked me to come in his stead. He wanted you to know he was held up and will meet you back at Resembool.”

Staring dubiously over his shoulder at Roy he eventually let out a tired sigh and the tension began to fade. It was too early - he was much too sore and hungry - to be fighting. “Ah, crap,” he muttered. He raked his nails across his scalp absently. The barely audible grousing from the eldest Elric kept Roy’s attention. Truly, Edward had not changed.

“Riza is waiting with the car. Your brother mentioned you had a room booked for the night and I can take you there. Unless you’d rather walk.”

Considering the offer carefully he begrudgingly accepted. If nothing else it would be nice to see Riza again however briefly that would be. “Alright, alright. But if you start up again I’ll shove my foot up your, ass.”

Roy shrugged and turned once more to go. On their way Edward spoke up again.

“You were Brigadier when I left,” he stated matter of factly. “I was starting to wonder if maybe it was time for me to pay back that 520 cens with this getup you’ve got going on.” One hand waved absently in Roy’s direction still acting annoyed.

A lighter smile played upon Roy’s face and he shook his head. “Not yet, I’m afraid, though I’d gladly accept back what you owe me now if you’re offering.”

“Not a chance!”

They finally moved together to head off the platform and make their way out of the train station. By the time they reached the car Edward’s temper had abated completely. Any sour looks given to Roy were merely for show by that point.

“Sir.” Riza Hawkeye addressed Roy first standing beside the car as the two approached.

When her eyes drifted toward Ed she could hardly believe he was the same man that she had last seen almost four years ago. For all of their bickering in the past Edward and Roy were remarkably close in height now even if Roy wouldn’t allow Edward to have the win on that argument. Ed’s features had changed: his muscles seemed more defined and his face more angled like that of his father. Wearing a white button down, dark gray vest, and a lighter gray casual jacket over loose black slacks he looked every bit the younger version of Hohenheim.

“It’s good to see you again,” she said to him with a small smile.

“Looks like everyone’s been busy getting promoted while I was gone,” Ed remarked as he stopped in front of her. She received a much friendlier grin than Roy had been getting.

“We will have to catch up on the ride to your hotel, Edward. We’re running late this morning.” Brown eyes glanced in Roy’s direction and he barely managed to not fidget under her stare. Even if she were only a Captain under his command she could still give him a proper scolding like no one else.

“Hiding files again, fearless leader?” Edward jibed. The devious glint in his eyes implied he would gladly jump in on the fun Riza had so graciously offered him.

“We’ll be taking Edward to his hotel first, Captain.” Roy went to the rear passenger side of the car and climbed in pretending as though he didn’t have Riza’s stare boring down at him as he disappeared into the cab.

Edward was laughing again as he circled around and climbed in the opposite side from Roy so that he could slide in next to him. Both bags were placed on the seat between them. With Riza in front she soon pulled the military vehicle out of its spot and sped off toward their destination.

With the car in motion Roy removed his hat revealing his slicked back hair still dark as night as Edward remembered it. Settling back into the seat beside him Ed glanced over at the motion in time to see Roy pushing his hand through it. He couldn’t remember seeing Roy with his hair that way. Unlike his opinion of Roy’s mustache he thought the look of his hair suited him. He looked every bit the high ranking officer.

The car ride was uneventful. Edward spent the majority of it staring out the window and taking in the city around them while absently talking with Riza about his ride home from Creta.

West City was a different place from the last time he had seen it. No longer did he see soldiers outnumbering civilians on the streets. New shops he didn’t recognize buzzed by and it seemed that commerce in West City no longer slanted almost exclusively toward military expenditures. People were going about their lives without threats of further clashing along the Creta - Amestris border. Given time it would be possible for it to flourish beyond the stigma of being a military post.

“I believe this is it.”

“Huh?” Edward blinked coming out of his daze ot recalling when the conversation had died away. The car has stopped and sat idling in front of a modest looking hotel. Alphonse had picked it and booked a room for them to give Edward the chance to recoup somewhat before taking the final train ride home. “Oh. Thanks.” He gathered his bags and climbed out of the car calling back over his shoulder, “Have fun, General.”

Grunting Roy leaned over in the seat before Ed could close the door. Riza watched him through the rearview mirror and he knew she suspected him of stalling for more time. “Edward, wait.”

Leaning down Ed peered back inside the cab. “Whats up? Did I forget something?”

“Before you go, could we discuss your research before you leave for Resembool tomorrow? I’m interested to hear what you’ve picked up. Two years abroad is a long time and I can’t imagine you didn’t pick up something along the way. Even you aren’t that inattentive.”

Instead of throwing a fit as he would have when he was younger, Edward kept his eyes locked on Roy’s. “If you aren’t still buried under a mountain of paper by dinner you can meet me here at seven. Enjoy!” Beaming triumphantly he stepped back and shut the door before Roy could retaliate. He strut all the way to the door of his hotel only sparing a cocky wave; a flick of his wrist with his fingers curled and index finger jutting into the air.

“Shall we go, sir?” While it was a question, Roy was not foolish enough to believe Riza was giving him any real choice in the matter.

Sinking into the growing gloom of the day ahead Roy only nodded. As unpleasant a task as he had before him he at least had one thing to mull over: Edward’s reaction wasn’t exactly what he expected. Maybe the young man had changed more than he gave him credit for.

 

Crisp fall air mingled with the faintest scent of rain foreshadowed the coming winter. Soon enough it would not be chill rain, but snow that would fall. The mid and southern areas of Amestris didn’t get nearly as much as the northern-most points, but it was enough to drive plenty of people south even if only for a week or two of reprieve from the cold. It wasn’t wintry enough yet to chase people indoors and many were still out on the streets. Seven o’clock was a prime time for many to be heading to dinner, shows, or running in and out of shops making last minute purchases for the night.

Edward watched them come and go. People-watching had become something of a hobby of his in the last few years. Not having to constantly wrack his brain over obtaining a philosopher’s stone freed up much of his time for other things; he could do anything he wished and not have to worry about someone coming to kill him or Alphonse most importantly. He could just stand and be. There was no hurry to rush somewhere. If he missed a ride or his train he could get a new one and not fret over it. Meals didn’t have to be rushed and the only thing he had to worry about was how much money he had left in his wallet to afford his ravenous appetite.

Inhaling deeply his golden eyes fluttered closed. Even with the chatter of voices along the street he felt completely at peace.

He stood beneath a lamplight near the street edge in front of his hotel. He’d changed his outfit from that morning to one of graphite colored slacks, black boots keeping his feet warm, a lush green vest, and a white cotton button up underneath. The same gray coat fleshed out his frame. Despite the bite in the air he kept the jacket open. His only defense against it were a pair of black fingerless gloves. His hands hung loosely in his pants pockets leaving the hems of each glove visible where the sleeves of his jacket were pushed up.

His day had been a lazy one spent napping, ordering room service, and pouring over his notes. He had managed to finish up a few items that he had been stuck on the last several days. Working on the trains was not his ideal place to sit and think. Once he had a desk - even the small one in the hotel would do - or a comfortable spot like the floor or bed to spread out he was easily able to immerse himself. When he resurfaced to the world he had barely any time to scramble to the shower and change into fresh clothes. If Roy showed and he was late he would never hear the end of it.

Ed pulled his fingertips through the ends of his hair. The strands were still damp, but he had put them up in a ponytail anyway. He could worry about the inevitable kink in it in the morning. While he was still teasing the soft tresses, sparing a moment to flick a few errant ones from his eyes, a familiar car to the one he’d been in that morning pulled up along the curb. The door clicked as it popped open and Roy stepped onto the sidewalk a few feet from him.

No longer wearing his military garb the General looked no less formal. The black long coat remained, but the attire underneath had changed. His three piece suit far outmatched Edward’s own cobbled together attire. The pinstripe of the suit was small, barely visible, and added the perfect accent to the ignition gloves Roy still wore. Even in his down time it appeared he never took them off. The color was black or a navy blue; Edward wasn’t sure in the lamp light. He also took note of the same slicked back hairstyle Roy had been sporting that morning. A pair of black and white wingtip shoes completed the look.

Unlike his greeting on the train platform, Edward smiled and dropped his hands from his pockets. “I was wondering if you were gonna show.” There wasn’t any mockery to his voice instead sounding familiar.

“I never thought I would live to see the day I would be the one who was late,” Roy replied playing at being astonished.

“I’m just full of surprises,” Edward chimed in. “But you’re crazy if you think I’m going to go change into something fancy.” He alluded to the other’s distinguished looking suit.

“Just dinner. You have my word. We can’t have you breaking too many laws of nature tonight or else the world might really end. Shall we?” Turning he slid back around his open car door pausing only to make sure the blonde was going to follow.

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up.” Whirling his hand in the air for emphasis, Edward moved toward the passenger side of the car sliding into place with Roy following suit.

Roy had chosen a nice restaurant offering Amestrian cousine. It didn’t have a dress code, but was nice enough that he didn’t stand out as he and Edward climbed from the car to head inside. They looked interesting walking together and dressed so differently. Unlike in the past Roy was not the only one that turned heads when they entered the lobby. The hostess seemed equally enamored with them both. Naturally Roy took up the task of chatting her up first not shy in the least with his gratuitous flirting.

She led them to a table near the back by a window placing their menus on the table and promising to send one of the wait staff over to get their drink order soon. Edward watched her walk off glancing back at them - more Roy than himself - clearly trying to hide her heated face and nervous giggles.

Rolling his eyes he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair. It wasn’t until his butt hit the seat that he remembered to pluck off his gloves and reach lazily behind himself to stuff them into one of the coat pockets.

“Really? With everything that moves?” Edward said sounding exasperated. He hadn’t seen much of it as a kid, but he could remember the way Roy could make other officers in Command blush and giggle from whatever ridiculous thing he’d said to them. He didn’t need to have experience in romance to know what was going on.

“We were exchanging pleasant conversation.”

“Yeah. Right. And I’m the Fuhrer,” Ed quipped. He leaned back in his seat while he propped his menu up near the edge of the table to begin glancing over it.

Roy in the meantime managed to get his coat draped over his seat without dragging on the floor before unbuttoning his suit jacket and tugging that off as well. His collared shirt beneath the outfit was white, like Ed’s, and seemed to make the stripes on his suit pop a little more now that it wasn’t smothered by the dark colors of his jacket and coat even though he still wore the matching vest.

“A little underdressed tonight aren’t you? Would you perhaps be slumming it tonight, sir?” Roy answered without missing a beat. Ed just peered at him from across the table.

Their banter felt lighter than before. It was more akin to play between two good friends than a military General talking to his former subordinate. They kept up their little game until a waiter arrived to take their drink order. Again, Roy spoke up first and ordered a bottle of wine: red. Only once the man returned with the bottle and two glasses, poured some wine in each to get them started, and departed did Ed finally break off their game for the time being.

“Oh for God’s sake, you can stop being so formal, you know. It’s Ed. Or Edward I guess. I’m not Fullmetal anymore. I’m just Ed,” he shrugged seeming uneasy with the title Fullmetal Fuhrer that Roy was using during their charade. “Does all that formal-wear make you incapable of using my name?”

“Alchemist or not you still hold that status so far as I’m concerned. But, if you like, Ed, I won’t use it outside of Command.” Roy had a pleasant smile for Ed of his own. “You can stop calling me Mustang. It’s been four years. I think that’s long enough a period to distance yourself from our former relationship.”

Edward snorted and reached for his glass taking a sip of the wine. Roy half expected him to make a face at the taste, but was pleasantly surprised to see the other seemed to enjoy it. Their similarity - in tastes of beverage - stopped there when they eventually ordered and received their food a short time later. Roy’s steak with assorted sides was far more ‘formal’ compared to the chunky fried cuts of potatoes accompanying Edward’s giant bowl of stew. He ate them with his fingers brazenly dunking some into his soup to use as a makeshift spoon every now and again.

Dinner was pleasant. They slipped into talk of West City. Roy explained his recent station there and how developments with Creta were progressing almost without a hitch. The border skirmishes had ceased with only a few spats between farm lands striking up any real issues. Restoration efforts has also gotten underway. Come the spring they would be in full force. The city of Pendleton had been given a chance to breathe at last as well. Without the fighting and no longer being neglected by the military the people there had the chance to do more than worry for their lives and their homes. Edward came to find out Heymans Breda was still stationed in Pendleton.

As much as Breda’s original station in the town had been forced he had gained valuable knowledge of the region and held some clout with the people there. With so little other military personnel giving them any sort of aid Breda had been a small lifeline in the storm.

“Good for him!” Edward remarked. He was happy to hear that some good had come out of the bad.

Talks graduated closer to Edward’s travels as dinner waned and the two picked over pieces of pie for dessert: apple for Ed and a blackberry for Roy.

There was so much to say about what he had learned; it was too much to fit into their remaining dinner. Edward glossed over many topics. They ranged from the towns and tribes of people he had met and gotten to know, the way some of the people of Creta viewed Alchemy - an odd mixture of what sounded to be something akin to a mix of Amestrian Alchemy and Xingese Alkahestry, to a few of his misadventures.

Roy could only smirk as Edward animatedly spoke about a bizarre incident involving a rabbit, a street vendor’s overturned flower cart, and some baker in the town the event took place. How typical of Edward to get himself involved in something he had no business being in.

“I had to pick flowers for six days. Six days! And it wasn’t even my fault the damn cart got knocked over to begin with,” he exclaimed. The little glimmer to his eyes let Roy know he wasn’t as upset about the whole thing as he made it seem. Even as a kid Roy had seen the younger man’s willingness to help others even if he was sucked into something he had initially no stake in.

Both men continued to talk for an extra hour beyond the end of their meal. The wine was long depleted by the time the slight fidgeting in their seats eventually brought their outing to an end. When it came time to pay Edward moved for his wallet only to have Roy beat him to it. He wouldn’t take no from Ed as an answer.

“Don’t worry, you don’t owe me,” he stated as he stood up after paying. Ed followed suit.

“Alright, fine,” he replied. Donning his coat and gloves again he waited for Roy and the two walked out together. As they passed the hostess a final time it looked as though Roy wanted to say more to her, but a hand on his right arm jerked him back toward the door. “Nope! Let’s go.” Paying for his dinner was one matter; Edward was not going to stand around and watch Roy seduce random women.

The girl watched them go seeming unphased by Ed’s commentary and continuing to watch the pair as they disappeared from view her eyes lingering on Roy as long as he was within sight.

The way back to the hotel was quiet. Roy made no comment about Ed dragging him from the restaurant and it seemed they had slipped into something of a new dynamic from their old one. The lights flickering across Ed’s face as the car moved down the street gradually came to a halt until they were parked next to the same lamp as before. Shifting his weight he moved to exit the car while Roy spoke.

“I can take you to the train tomorrow if you want. That way you won’t be late even if you over sleep.”

“Ha ha, don’t quit your day job, old man,” Ed retorted. When he was standing he turned to lean down and meet the others eyes. “It leaves at noon. Don’t you have work?”

Shaking his head Roy continued. “A reprieve from the paperwork, I’m afraid. Riza will just have to get on without me.”

Laughing, Edward tapped his left hand on top of the car. “Okay then. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll wait out here again.”

Nodding Roy agreed and waited for Ed to close the door and walk onto the sidewalk. He was greeted with another wave from Ed as the former Alchemist stuffed both hands into his jacket pockets and strode toward the hotel doors. He felt a sense of loss knowing that they hadn’t even begun to really dive into all that Edward had learned on his trip. Their dinner had also been more than just talking about Alchemy.

When was the last time Roy had enjoyed dinner with someone else that wasn’t his subordinate and there weren’t rules to abide by? The lack of answers was more of a disappointment than he initially thought it would be. Having so much to mull over he pulled the car away allowing his lack of a social life to be his company for the remainder of the evening.

By mid-morning the next day Edward still hadn’t roused himself from bed. There was just over an hour to go before he needed to be at the train station. Instead he was sprawled across the bed in a loose t-shirt and boxers. His arms were stuffed under pillows in opposite directions from his head with his face planted firmly in the soft surface of one. Ed left his hair down when he slept and it was tossed in all directions: splayed across his shoulders, obscuring what little of his face wasn’t hidden in the pillow, and scattered along the upper portions of his arms. The room itself was a mess to match. Research notes were scattered all over and the few books he’d brought back with him from Creta lay open and unmoved from where he had left them the night before. Both of his outfits from the previous day were scattered across the room and his towel from the shower lay rumpled on top of one of his shirts leaving both damp.

Shrill ringing shattered the silence and sent Edward flying out of bed and crashing to the floor head first. “Fuck!”

The ringing continued and left Ed flailing to untangle the blanket from his legs. He had dragged it with him and managed to get it tied around his automail leg. “Goddammit,” he swore. Just short of ripping it he yanked it to free himself before springing back up onto the bed to dive toward the phone that was still clamoring for his attention. Yanking the receiver off the hook he barked into it voice gruff with sleep and irritated beyond measure. “What?”

“Good morning to you to, Ed,” Roy’s familiar voice carried over the line.

Blinking, Ed sagged back into the bed and rubbed at his eyes. “What’re you calling so early for?” One golden eye peered toward the clock causing him to scowl when he saw how much time he still had left to sleep.

“I am supposed to retrieve you and take you to the train; it leaves in an hour.”

“Yeah so?” Edward replied groggily. “Plenty of time. I’ll see you later.”

Before he could hang up Roy’s voice called to him loud enough that Ed could hear it after pulling the phone away from his ear. Sighing he dropped his head onto one outstretched arm as a makeshift pillow putting the phone back to his ear. “Whatisit?” He mumbled, not bothering to hide a yawn.

“Still not a morning person,” Roy commented with a chuckle. “I was going to ask…” He paused making Edward lean into the phone more thinking Roy had said something and he missed it.

“What? Did you say something? You just trailed off.”

The sound of the General clearing his throat came over the line. “Why don’t you stay in West CIty a few more days? It was good to see you again yesterday. I wanted to talk more about your research and we didn’t get to go into details last night.”

Edward’s eyes popped open and he stared at the phone like it was going to bite him. “I’m sorry I thought I just heard you say you enjoyed my company and wanted me to stay. Something must be wrong with the line.”

“Don’t be a brat.”

Snickering Ed’s lips stretched into a lazy grin. The idea of staying to relax for a few more days before packing himself onto another train was appealing. If he was being honest with himself he had enjoyed their dinner just as much. Roy wasn’t awful company like he had once thought. They had differing opinions even now, but it only enhanced their conversations and it sparked ideas in Edward that he wanted to research. Getting the extra time to know Roy better while talking with someone about his research for the first time was more tantalizing than he could resist.

“I’ll stay. But I’m gonna go back to sleep now. We can have lunch later?” The influx to his voice implied the question being asked and Roy confirmed it.

“Lunch it is. I’ll pick you up in two hours.”

“Mhm,” Edward agreed.

Both hung up after that and Edward was allowed to drift back to sleep where he’d stretched across the bed. It never seemed to bother him that his legs dangled off the side.

Lunchtime came and went. Roy had retrieved Edward as he promised and the two spent the time at a little cafe down the road from Ed’s hotel. They sat outside at a small table talking about nothing in particular. Their conversations seemed to be ever evolving and before either knew it they had gotten off onto a subject completely unrelated to what they had just been talking about. The spontaneity was refreshing to Roy.

They chose to drive halfway through town and park the car and walk from there. They started at a small park near the lot Roy stowed his car in. There was no destination in particular to go and Roy found himself letting Edward lead. The blonde seemed particularly interested in the sizable pond and subsequently dragged Roy to watch some of the few remaining ducks that hadn’t yet flown south for the coming winter. Even when he was sucked into feeding them - Ed bought a spur of the moment cup of seeds from a random peddler making his rounds about the lake - he didn’t feel as out of place as he assumed he would. Even Ed’s teasing didn’t spark the temper it would have when the blonde was younger.

Edward never knew he would find himself at a point in life where he would be competing with Roy over who could feed the most ducks, but it was enjoyable all the same. He laughed loudly and didn’t care who watched them. Roy was so serious that it was impossible not to smile.

The rest of the day went much the same. Both men kept one another company and spoke about everything. Ed liked to hear the stories Roy had of all the things he’d worked on in West City. The more connections he made the closer Roy became to attaining his ultimate goal.

Walking around in the daylight Edward could see a change in the place. It wasn’t the same as when he had passed through two years prior on his way to Creta. While he only had a small layover stop he recalled the still tense atmosphere and the way people seemed to rush everywhere with a strict purpose. Currently those people moved slower; they seemed to enjoy life more without the looming threat of war constantly hanging over their heads. It helped that the city wasn’t flooded with on duty military personnel too.

Following dinner that night Roy and Ed headed back to the park and settled into a bench to continue their dinner conversation about Alchemy. Ed lounged with his arms draped over the back of the bench and legs jutting out into the pathway. It reminded Roy remarkably of how the other used to sit when he was a youth. However, instead of the aloofness Edward once had he now seemed completely at ease. He didn’t turn his nose up at Roy in some poor show of defiance and would willingly turn to look his way every now and then. As a result Roy felt more tranquil. He didn’t have to be tense when he wasn’t expecting an argument to evolve out of his every word.

Ed parted with Roy again in front of his hotel some hours later with the older male walking him up to the door that time. They agreed to meet the following night and talk some more over dinner.

 

Roy’s day sped by when he had something to look forward to. Paperwork vanished faster than it accumulated and even Riza could see a noticeable change. She and Roy were still close and aside from being his second in command they often had dinners together after work.

Nothing came of their time together after the Promised Day. Briefly they had given the little spark a chance to become more, but it wasn’t meant to be. It had felt awkward - not forced, but still too odd for either of them to want to continue. Neither of them wanted to ruin the close friendship they already had. Next to Maes, Riza was Roy’s closest friend; she was his only with Maes gone. Roy was loath to destroy that goodness in his life and they both returned to being more like family.

Riza was pleased to hear that Roy and Ed were getting along. They never had the chance before and she was happy to see Roy have something other than work to look forward to even if it would only be a few more days. She, better than anyone, knew how Roy felt for both edward and Alphonse. Despite his statements to the contrary he had gone out of his way to shield them as best he could from the horrors of the world. That was a daunting task when Edward had been in the military.

Another dinner came to a slow, meandering end, and Roy sat back in his seat listening to Ed talk about something he was working on back in his hotel room. Apparently not having a permanent place to spread out and work hadn’t stopped the former Alchemist from pouring over his notes every chance he got. It never dawned on him when Ed had stopped talking. While he retained the information the other relayed he didn’t surface from the depths of his thoughts until Ed flicked a piece of ice at him from his water.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“You aren’t even listening to me,” Ed accused. He pouted. “What’s so important you had to go zoning off on me?”

“I was thinking-”

“I can see that.”

“Let me finish,” Roy said raising a hand to keep Edward from berating him. “Why don’t you stay with me until you’re ready to head back to Resembool?”

Edward sat leaning forward - an accusatory index finger pointing toward Roy - when the question was asked. His mouth hung agape and he wasn’t sure what to say. Blinking instead he lowered his hand and leaned on the table eying the other. “Stay with you? Why?”

“You’ve been traveling for two years now. I thought you might like to have a place to be where you aren’t required to pay to sleep in a bed. I won’t be home until the evenings and you can come and go as you like or stay and work on your research. You wouldn’t have to worry about anyone coming in to clean up your room and disturb your notes either.”

Thinking on the offer Ed couldn’t refute the facts given. He still had enough money left to stay in the hotel until he returned to Resembool, but he couldn’t deny the thought of getting to sit down and not have someone come knocking to check on him as appealing. He had his fair share of inns and hotels coming along and ‘cleaning’ up his notes while he was out only for him to come back and spend the entire evening pouring over the pages again and trying to get them back into the order he’d had them.

“You’re sure?” Ed found himself asking before he had completely thought the idea out.

“Unless you don’t want to.”

Ed shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised. But I’d like to.”

Roy began to place his cloth napkin on the table and prepare to leave. Discussing it with Ed on the way out Edward decided to check out of his hotel room that night. There was no point in staying if he had better accomodations waiting for him.

It took an hour to make the trip there and to Roy’s home, but when they arrived at last Edward noted the modest area in which Roy lived. The streets were lined with brownstones: each looked fairly alike to the others. Minor embellishments from the residents marked any drastic difference in appearance. Roy’s had a short set of steps framed by a wrought iron railing leading up to a painted blue door. It had delicate paneling and a frosted glass window in the upper center. Edward waited patiently with his things as Roy’s keys jingled softly in the quiet evening air. Hearing the bolt click open the older man pushed the door open and allowed Edward to enter first before following.

Inside the first noticeable feature was a quaint staircase leading up to a second floor immediately to the right of the doorway. A thin corded rug draped across the hardwood of the main floor just inside the door. As Roy moved in beside him he followed the others actions and toed off his boots nudging them into place alongside Roy’s on the rug. From what else he could see they were in a small nook of an entryway. A coat rack stood in the corner and there was a small round table with a bowl that Roy dropped his keys into before shrugging off his black long jacket and draping it on a peg. Just around the corner to the right before him - next to the stairs - he could see down the hall in the light Roy had flipped on. Ed could see one doorway, but beyond that or what lay inside he couldn’t yet tell.

Following Roy the other led him up the stairs indicating that both bedrooms of the home were there. It was nothing fancy, but the modest rooms felt cozy and relaxing. The guest room was the first door on the left with a full bathroom just passed it. Across from them was a hall closet for extra linens, towels, and general storage. At the very end of the hallway was Roy’s room.

“I’m going to put on some coffee,” Roy said standing behind Ed who was just inside the guest room. “Meet me downstairs if you would like some.”

Leaving Ed on his own Roy retreated down the hall and off toward his next task. Edward moved inside the room to dump his bags on the floor near the foot of the bed. Rolling his shoulders he tugged off his jacket to lay on the back of a chair tucked neatly under a desk while he undid his vest buttons. Wiggling himself free he tossed the vest onto the bed and undid the top button on his shirt. Scooping his jacket back up he cast a quick look about the room before heading back to the door. He stopped short before stepping into the hall to pad over to his bag and dig out one of his books. With coat and reading material in hand he followed after Roy.

His jacket was discarded on the coat rack first and then he made his way down the hall. The door he’d seen before turned out to lead to a small washroom. Roy was in the room just beyond making coffee. At the extreme end of the hall was another door closed off so he couldn’t see within. Later he would find it to be Roy’s office. To the left Ed noted an open doorway led into the living room. The flickering lights of a fire caught his attention and drew Edward in toward it’s warmth. He was quiet as he took a seat on a plush couch as close to the heat as he could. Wriggling down into the cushion and bracing his back to the arm rest he propped a leg up on the seat beside him and thumbed his book open using his leg as a makeshift desk.

Several minutes later Roy joined him handing over a hot cup of coffee and laying out a bowl with sugar and a cup with milk on the table. Edward made a face at the white creamy liquid and instead dumped a few spoonfuls of sugar into his drink; just enough to dull the bitterness of the beans, yet not so much it was overbearing in sweetness. Nothing much was said that night. Roy eventually fell into reading his own book and at some point the radio was turned on to hum quietly in the background.

Ed enjoyed being in that room much more than returning to the hotel each night. There wasn’t any pressure to go anywhere and he felt at ease having somewhere to spread out and just feel like he belonged. Each day thereafter was much the same. Instead of going out after Roy came home from work the pair ate at home. It turned out that Roy was a particularly good cook and Edward was all the more thankful for it.

It was odd having someone to cook for other than himself or when Riza made the occasional visit for an evening. Roy enjoyed it all the same. Their talks went late into the nights on some days. Others, when the pair would sit in the living room after dinner, Roy would leave Edward passed out cold on his couch with his research materials spread all over the floor and coffee table. He thought nothing of it when he stood to head to bed himself and would first tidy up Ed’s things and drape a blanket over the younger male before turning in for the night as if it were second nature.

Five days passed. Edward had spoken with his brother and Winry within that time and the three were excited to see each other at last. Ed’s time in West City had come to a close. The evening of the final day found Roy taking Ed to meet his train.

There were not many people standing on the platform and they were able to find a space off on their own to wait. They didn’t say much until the whistle of the inbound train sounded and the locomotive came chugging it’s way into place before them coming to a rumbling halt.

“I gotta admit, it’s been great,” Ed chimed as he swung forward off his seat on a bench and settled his bags onto his shoulders. “Who knew you would turn out to be such great company for an old man.”

Scoffing Roy stood adjusting his gloves and tugging his jacket back into order. “I could say the same. For such a little guy you aren’t so bad either.”

“Watch it!” Edward warned turning to stare with narrowed eyes at the other. But as soon as that flash of anger over his height cropped up it was gone becoming replaced with a smirk. “Don’t be a sore loser because it took you this long to see how great I am.”

“Hah! Now who has the ego?”

Both laughed which ended only when Roy extended a hand. “It was good to see you, Ed. If you have the chance again we should get together some time.”

Awkwardly - he was never very good with handshakes - Ed placed his hand in Roy’s. He nodded in agreement. Seeing the General again would be something to look forward to this time; it was no longer a chore to be dreaded. “I’ll keep in touch about my research too. I should have more once I can talk with Al and finally get to comparing notes.”

A warning bell sounded from the train giving Edward his last chance to board before he missed his ride.

“I’ll see ya later!” As Ed jogged off toward the boarding car he gave Roy the same casual wave as he had the first few nights they had met up. By now it felt so familiar that it hadn’t dawned on Roy that it would be the last time he would see it for awhile.

Heaving a sigh once he reached his car, and his seat, Edward put his bags on the bench opposite his and settled in for the ride home. Uneventful though it was Ed didn’t spend his time thinking as much about Winry or Alphonse as he thought he might. Instead - even as he drifted in and out of sleep the next few hours - his thoughts consisted of Roy and the week they spent together. Never could he have imagined spending that long with the man and not wanting to rip his hair out. It gave him a lazy smile as he pondered over his newfound friendship.

Likewise, General Mustang had similar thoughts going into the next days and weeks after Edward’s departure. Sloppy as the former State Alchemist was, Roy couldn’t deny that he enjoyed having something more to do in the evenings than sit by himself or head to a bar to bring some stranger home. Each activity had its place - of course - but this was different. There was something fulfilling about coming home and making dinner and sharing it with another human being. The bonus of intelligent conversation or just the presence of another person while he sat in silence was more of a gift than he wanted to admit.

The house felt more hushed and empty than it had previously. He caught himself on more than one occasion looking up from a book or article he had been reading expecting Ed to be there and finding no one. Little flutters of disappointment welled in his gut each time it happened. The idea of being lonely and for seemingly no reason bothered him so he pushed the feelings down and refused to give them any attention.

Riza also noticed the change in his behavior as he returned back to avoiding his paperwork again and glancing at the clock almost obsessively throughout the day. She had no idea Edward would have such an effect on Roy, but she hoped for her friend’s sake they would see each other - call at the very least - so that Roy could have the enthusiasm back in his life again.

Naturally she knew Edward was horrible at calling and keeping in touch and Roy would pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about if she mentioned it. Riza resigned herself to working on ways to bring up the former Fullmetal Alchemist and indirectly get Roy to reach out instead. As a last resort she would call the young man herself and force them to talk, but she hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Only time would tell.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you stick around to see this prequel through with me. Comments or just kudos are greatly appreciated. They motivate me to continue writing and sharing this.
> 
> Feel free to ask me questions and follow me on my [Tumblr](http://www.ultimately-loveless.tumblr.com).
> 
> I'll be trying my hand at possibly doing some companion art for this fic as well. I hope you'll check out my blog to see it. :)


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